Car won't start at Stansted Airport? What to do
Updated
Quick answer
It's usually a flat battery after the car has been parked for days or weeks. Call or WhatsApp us with the car park, zone and row: we'll come and jump start it, or recover it home or to a garage if it still won't go.
Why it happens
Modern cars draw a little power even when they're locked, for the alarm, the immobiliser and the electronics. Leave a car for a week or two, add cold weather or an older battery (four or five years or more), and there may not be enough left to turn the engine over.
Quick checks
- Clicking, a slow turning engine, or dim dashboard lights usually mean a flat battery.
- If the doors won't unlock with the key fob, use the metal key hidden inside the fob: a dead car battery stops the central locking.
- If the fob itself seems dead but the car's lights work, the fob battery may be flat. Check your handbook for how to start the car with a dead fob.
Tell us exactly where you are
The car parks are big, so before you call, check the zone and row signs on the nearest post and tell us which car park you're in. A photo on WhatsApp helps. If you're in a multi-storey, mention the level and whether there's a height barrier.
Paying for parking
If your car needs to be recovered rather than jump started, you'll usually need a paid exit ticket so the barrier lets us out. It's worth sorting that before we arrive.
After a jump start
Drive for at least half an hour if you can, ideally on faster roads, so the battery gets a decent charge. If it goes flat again within a day or two, get the battery tested: it probably needs replacing.
Going away again? If you have a driveway at home, a small battery maintainer before a long trip helps, and taking the car for a longer drive the week before you fly does too.